Chapter 223: Minghe Laozu's qi is blocked—could Hou Tu sense something?!

Minghe Laozu's gaze was hostile, staring at Chen Ku.

Seeing this, Chen Ku remained calm and unruffled, showing no trace of panic.

"Heh, truly worthy of being the lord of the Sea of Blood!"

"Fellow Daoist Minghe's perception is indeed sharp."

He lightly laughed and replied in this way.

But although Chen Ku's smile appeared gentle, it was naturally impossible to let Minghe Laozu lower his guard.

The latter spoke again, his voice angry as he shouted:

"Hmph, cut the nonsense!"

"Chen Ku, I have no grudge against you; why do you ferry away these Sea of Blood vengeful souls, disturbing my cultivation?"

"Do you really think I am weak and easy to bully?"

Minghe Laozu felt utterly speechless.

After all, I can say that I have never actively provoked Chen Ku.

On the contrary, Chen Ku had forcibly seized an innate banana fan that belonged to me.

And today, he has come to my door uninvited again.

This is simply bullying to an extreme degree.

On the other side, Chen Ku remained indifferent.

"Ferrying away vengeful souls is merely a casual act."

"I have come today precisely for Fellow Daoist Minghe."

"I have a matter to inform you, Fellow Daoist!"

Chen Ku's words left Minghe Laozu even more bewildered and puzzled.

"To talk to me about matters?!"

Minghe Laozu has nothing to do with the West, or rather, no connection.

What could Chen Ku possibly have to tell me?

Instinctively, Minghe Laozu felt that this brat surely harbored no good intentions.

Minghe Laozu's heart rang with alarm, and he warily countered:

"What is it?!"

This time, Chen Ku no longer beat around the bush, and spoke loudly:

"I have come this time to demand Fellow Daoist's Twelve‑Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus."

"If Fellow Daoist agrees, I can exchange an innate spiritual treasure for it."

"Furthermore, I will grant Fellow Daoist a great opportunity that continuously yields merit—how does that sound?!"

Chen Ku spoke lightly, as if mentioning a trivial matter.

However, his words having fallen,

opposite him, Minghe Laozu stared dumbfounded, completely stunned.

"Demand the Twelve‑Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus?!"

"Isn't it?"

"How dare this brat speak such words with righteous confidence?!"

"If one didn't know, one might even think that the Karmic Fire Red Lotus belonged to Chen Ku."

"How shameless can one be?!"

Minghe's cultivation spans endless ages, and he has naturally witnessed all kinds of overbearing powerhouses.

"Yet no one has ever been like Chen Ku, speaking so calmly while demanding my top‑grade spiritual treasure!"

In an instant, Minghe was shocked by Chen Ku's thick‑skinned audacity beyond measure.

"Hmph, you wish!"

Regaining his composure, Minghe Laozu immediately spoke, refusing without hesitation.

Although Chen Ku had also proposed corresponding terms,

but to Minghe Laozu, the importance of the Twelve‑Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus is irreplaceable.

First, as Minghe Laozu's innate companion treasure, the Twelve‑Grade Karmic Fire Red Lotus is perfectly suited to him, naturally incomparable to any other innate spiritual treasure.

Second, as a supreme‑grade innate spiritual treasure, the Karmic Fire Red Lotus is also used by Minghe Laozu to suppress the fortune of the Sea of Blood.

How could it possibly be lightly handed over to Chen Ku?!

Regarding this, Chen Ku seemed to have anticipated it.

He nodded, unsurprised, and then continued with astonishing words:

"Heh, this matter is not up for negotiation."

"But rather... a notice!"

"If we cannot settle this amicably, then I will have no choice but to take action."

"Overbearing to the extreme!"

"Arrogantly excessive!"

"In the primordial world, strength is supreme!"

"In other words, only a strong fist is the true truth."

"Moreover, whether the Four Great Lotus Pedestals can be gathered determines whether I can unite my three‑life Buddha body, and even whether I can later attain the Dao as a Mixed Yuan Great Golden Immortal."

"Therefore, Chen Ku fundamentally had no room for compromise, instead displaying an unprecedentedly forceful aspect."

"This matter admits no negotiation!"

Before having any strength, I definitely need to lie low.

But now that I have strength, why should I still be hesitant?

Upon hearing this, Minghe Laozu's heart was shaken, and he was left speechless.

Shameless!

Too shameless!

Chen Ku proactively sought out the Endless Sea of Blood, and with an imperious, commanding demeanor, he demanded his own spiritual treasure.

He's not treating me as a person at all!

Infuriating!

Minghe Laozu was practically driven mad by anger.

"Hmph, Chen Ku, how dare you be so arrogant?!"

"So shameless and despicable, shameless to the core—truly, the beam is not straight......"

In his great anger, Minghe immediately opened his mouth to rebuke.

However, halfway through his words, he suddenly realized.

"If the beam is not straight, the rafters will be crooked?!"

"If I were to say that, wouldn't I be cursing Jieyin and Zhunti as well?"

"If it were the past, Minghe Laozu would naturally have no scruples."

"But now, Jieyin and Zhunti have become saints, and they cannot tolerate any offense or desecration."

"Therefore, though Minghe felt stifled, he still forced himself to swallow the rest of his words."

"Afterward, changing the subject, he continued:"

"Chen Ku, you are utterly shameless and unrestrained."

"Perhaps you can intimidate other cultivators, but I, for one, am not afraid of you."

"What right do Western beings have to run wild in the Endless Sea of Blood?!"

"In Minghe Laozu's words, he was targeting only Chen Ku, or rather making clear the difference between East and West."

"He gritted his teeth with every word, truly having vented his anger."

"Who would have thought that, upon hearing Minghe Laozu rebuke him as 'utterly shameless,' Chen Ku showed not a trace of anger."

"On the contrary, he wore a faint smile, as if taking it as a point of pride."

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist, your words are correct."

"This is exactly my code of conduct!"

"One sentence almost made Minghe Laozu vomit blood."

"This... is completely unresponsive!"

"He's just a slippery piece of meat!"

"No matter how harshly he scolded, Chen Ku paid it no heed."

"'Shameless makes one invincible'—Minghe Laozu truly understood the meaning of this saying."

"What else can be done?!"

"Minghe panted heavily, his face grim as water as he stared at Chen Ku."

"He could see that if Chen Ku did not achieve his goal today, he would certainly not give up."

"Faced with such an attitude from the latter, Minghe Laozu also felt his boundless anger ignite."

"He simply turned cold, his aura swelling and undulating."

"Hmph, if that's the case......"

"Then today we'll settle this with strength."

"If you defeat me, the Karmic Fire Red Lotus is yours to dispose of as you wish."

"Even a clay figure has three points of fiery spirit, let alone Minghe Laozu, a top-tier innate great ability."

"He no longer endured, directly declaring war on Chen Ku, to settle the matter by strength."

"Upon hearing this, Chen Ku's smile deepened, and he nodded."

"Hehe, exactly what I had in mind!"

"In the Primordial, we must still abide by the Primordial's rules."

"He responded in this way."

"As for the current situation, Chen Ku had already thought of it."

"However, with his light and carefree demeanor, it seemed subduing Minghe Laozu would be an easy task."

"The latter grew even angrier."

"Hmph, then let's fight."

"With a furious roar, Minghe Laozu hesitated no longer and launched a fierce attack."

"All around him, a thick, substantive blood-killing qi surged violently."

"Meanwhile, Minghe Laozu himself moved as swift as lightning, ferociously charging at Chen Ku to attack."

"Chen Ku gave a faint smile and went forward to meet the attack."

"At the outset of the battle, Chen Ku didn't even bother to use any divine abilities."

"Relying on his fleshly body, comparable to that of an Ancestral Witch, was enough to withstand Minghe Laozu's might head-on."

"For a moment, within the Endless Sea of Blood, thunder exploded and heavenly sounds roared."

"Every move of theirs displayed the might of a Quasi-Saint or even a Primordial Golden Immortal without reservation."

"Boom—"

Repeated collision sounds, deafeningly loud.

Following that, throughout the Sea of Blood, a shocking and horrifying scene was stirred up.

Tens of thousands of feet of blood-killing qi surged, rolling and turbulent, spanning heaven and earth, vast and unparalleled, boundless.

And as the two made their move, the void erupted, drawing endless blood energy that surged like a vast ocean, rivers rushing forth, momentum towering to the heavens.

This sight drew countless experts from the outside world, all turning their heads.

"That... that's the Western Chen Ku?"

"Hiss... how did this kid end up fighting the Minghe Laozu again?"

"Hehe, this Chen Ku really can't stay still for a moment, constantly stirring up trouble."

"A calamity, this guy is basically a walking disaster."

Countless mighty figures exclaimed, discussions abounding.

The Western realm is billions of miles away from the endless Sea of Blood.

Between them, there has never been any interaction, let alone enmity.

Thus, seeing these two suddenly erupt into battle, all beings were bewildered, feeling completely confused.

The Western realm!

As Chen Ku made his move, he engaged in a great battle with the Minghe Laozu.

Jieyin and Zhunti also felt something at this moment.

"Huh? Why did my disciple go into the endless Sea of Blood?!"

Jieyin raised his eyebrows, greatly surprised.

Now, his disciple's actions repeatedly left this sage master bewildered and utterly perplexed.

Zhunti, though also surprised, only for a moment, then reacted and smiled with relief.

"Hehe, senior brother, there's no need to worry."

"Since it is so, nephew, he must have his purpose."

"Moreover, the mere Minghe Laozu is absolutely no match for the nephew."

Zhunti felt rather nonchalant, showing how much trust he placed in Chen Ku.

Hearing his words, Jieyin also eased his expression and nodded.

Not bad!

As Zhunti said, for them now, the Minghe Laozu is completely beneath notice.

Jieyin also had no doubt that Chen Ku's strength made dealing with a Minghe Laozu easy and without suspense.

"Hehe, exactly!"

"We should quickly prepare the content for the upcoming lecture."

"This time, we must surely make the West's name known."

Jieyin withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention, and thus said.

This time, lecturing to all beings of the East and West, the scale can be called unprecedented.

Even, the West could possibly thereby fully flourish.

Therefore, Jieyin also appeared quite solemn.

Hearing his words, Zhunti nodded.

The two said no more, instead continuing their closed-door cultivation to prepare the lecture.

Beyond the Thirty-Three Heavens, within the Heavenly Court.

"Damn it!"

"That Chen Ku is truly arrogant beyond bounds, truly hateful."

Upon the throne of the Demon Emperor, Di Jun's face darkened, and he angrily shouted in a low voice.

Although Chen Ku was not aimed at the Heavenly Court.

But seeing Chen Ku's heaven-shattering overbearing action also made Di Jun feel greatly displeased.

Had it been before, Di Jun's words would surely have gained the assent of the Ten Great Demon Saints and others.

But this time, after his words fell, no one continued speaking.

"Bitterness!"

The hearts of all in the Demon Court were already full of bitterness, impossible to dispel.

As Di Jun said, Chen Ku is indeed too arrogant.

However, it cannot be denied that the latter has the capital for arrogance.

Now the Western might is no longer comparable to the Demon Race.

Chen Ku's strength also made the Ten Great Demon Saints, and even Kunpeng, full of apprehension.

Without doubt, the Demon Court folk can be said to be extremely uncomfortable, remaining silent.

After a long while, Di Jun finally came to his senses.

"Hmph, Chen Ku may be strong, but we are not weak either."

"From today onward, we will wholeheartedly raise our cultivation and strengthen the Demon Race's might."

Di Jun again ordered thus.

Now, he can only transform grief and anger into motivation, hoping that one day he can again suppress Chen Ku's might and revive the Demon Race's prestige.

Afterwards, without further nonsense, Di Jun immediately entered closed-door cultivation, continuing to contemplate the two great spiritual treasures, the River Chart and Luo Book.

Originally, within these two spiritual treasures, although they had already comprehended the Grand Primordial River Luo Formation.

But in a vague way, Di Jun felt that this treasure still concealed something even more profound and obscure, a miraculous opportunity beyond words, which he had not yet comprehended.

On the other side, Taiyi likewise sealed himself in a death retreat, paying no heed to worldly affairs.

Translation: "On the other side, Taiyi likewise sealed himself in death retreat, paying no heed to worldly affairs."

The term meaning "to close oneself off in seclusion" (often called a "death retreat") is translated as "sealed himself in death retreat"; the phrase "not asking about worldly affairs" means "paying no heed to worldly affairs".

His goal was to fully refine the Chaos Bell.

Translation: "His goal was to thoroughly refine the Chaos Bell."

Hmph, this treasure is indeed my natal supreme treasure.

Translation: "Hmph, this treasure is indeed my natal supreme treasure."

One day, I will surely unleash its full power.

Translation: "One day, I will surely unleash its full power."

Earlier, the Chaos Bell showed its power, but Chen Ku outright ignored it, leaving Taiyi greatly shocked.

Translation: "Previously, the Chaos Bell displayed its might, but Chen Ku outright ignored it, which also gave Taiyi a tremendous shock."

Thus, his determination was unprecedentedly strong; he urgently sought to fully refine the Chaos Bell so as to unleash the true divine power of the supreme heaven-opening treasure.

Translation: "Thus, his Dao heart became firmer than ever; he urgently sought to fully refine the Chaos Bell, so as to unleash the true divine might of the Heaven‑opening Supreme Treasure."

Meanwhile, Kunpeng, the demon master of the demon court, sat enthroned in the Northern Sea Demon Master's Palace.

Translation: "As a Demon Court Demon Master, Kunpeng sat enthroned in the North Sea Demon Master Palace."

At this moment, he made hand seals.

Translation: "At this moment, he formed hand seals."

Before him in the void, countless mysterious and unfathomable symbols hovered, their meaning obscure.

Translation: "Before him in the void, strange, unfathomable symbols of unknown meaning floated."

Seeing this, Kunpeng's expression changed dramatically, as if he felt something.

Translation: "Watching this, Kunpeng's expression shifted dramatically, as if he sensed something."

After failing to snatch the Hongmeng Purple Qi from Red Yun, Kunpeng had to fall back on his original idea.

Translation: "Having failed to seize the Primordial Purple Qi from Hongyun, Kunpeng had to revert to his original plan."

Though this action is not yet clear now, it might later enable him to accumulate merit.

Translation: "Although this move is not yet clear, it may perhaps allow him to accumulate merit in the future."

In short, across the vast demon race, one strong warrior after another sprang into action, striving to boost their own power or to enhance the demon court's prestige.

Translation: "In short, within the vast Demon Race, one powerhouse after another busied themselves, striving with all their might to increase their own strength, or else to bolster the prestige of the Demon Court."

Within the Pangu Holy Hall.

Translation: "Inside the Pangu Holy Hall."

The Twelve Ancestral Witches also took note of Chen Ku's battle with the River of the Underworld.

Translation: "The Twelve Ancestral Witches also took note of the scene of Chen Ku's battle with the Nether River."

Hmm... Fellow Daoist Chen Ku is causing trouble again?!

Translation: "Huh... Fellow Daoist Chen Ku is stirring up trouble again?!"

Tsk, the Old Ancestor of the River of the Underworld seldom appears, yet how could Chen Ku have targeted him?!

Translation: "Tsk, the Nether River Ancestor rarely shows himself—how could Chen Ku even set his sights on him?!"

That fellow is truly unfortunate!

Translation: "That guy is really unlucky!"

Every move Fellow Daoist Chen Ku makes is driven by self-interest.

Translation: "Every move Fellow Daoist Chen Ku makes is driven by self‑interest."

But I wonder... what prompted him to act this time?

Translation: "But I don't know... what is he fighting for this time?"

Emperor Jiang, Candle Nine Yin, and others had odd looks, murmuring among themselves.

Translation: "Di Jiang, Zhu Jiuyin and the others wore strange expressions, whispering among themselves."

In their view, the River of the Underworld is also a rare recluse in the primordial wilderness.

Translation: "In their impression, the Nether River is also one of the few 'homebodies' in the Primordial Wasteland."

Just this is enough for Chen Ku to target him; one must admit, the Old Ancestor of the River of the Underworld has truly terrible luck.

Translation: "Just this—being targeted by Chen Ku—one can't help but say the Nether River Ancestor's luck is truly terrible."

Meanwhile, everyone was quite curious about Chen Ku's true aim.

Translation: "At the same time, everyone was quite curious about what Chen Ku's purpose really was."

However, a few people failed to notice.

Translation: "However, a few people didn't notice."

Elsewhere, Hou Tu did not exclaim at all.

Translation: "On the other side, Hou Tu didn't utter a word of surprise."

Instead, her lovely eyes were fixed on the endless Blood Sea, not on the battle between Chen Ku and his opponent.

Translation: "On the contrary, her beautiful eyes were fixed on the Endless Sea of Blood, not on the battle between Chen Ku and his opponent."

Her gaze rested upon the endless Blood Sea itself.

Translation: "Her gaze fell upon the Endless Sea of Blood itself."

Instantly, an enigmatic glow shimmered in Hou Tu's eyes, as if she sensed something.

Translation: "Instantly, a mysterious gleam flowed through Hou Tu's eyes, as if she sensed something......"

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